Because we had talked about everything, everything reminded me of him: Linda Ronstadt’s new album and my roommate’s recipe for savory crêpes and the colleague who told me family law was a second-rate area of study and President Ford’s decision to posthumously restore Robert E. Lee’s citizenship. Even in his absence, Bill remained the most interesting person with whom to discuss any book or breaking news or small moment of absurd behavior on the part of a friend, acquaintance, family member, or stranger.
